I was with a group of kababayans having coffee at the shopping mall when a
question propped up. Why can't we have leaders the like of Recto, Somulong,
Rodrigo, Roxas, Tanada, Laurel and other giants of their time? They all are
gone and none fits in their shoes. Was it a fluke of an era that these
brilliant statesmen came into existence? They wriggled the nation out from the
ashes of turbulence and no one stood par their kind since then.
A number of theories came up. But one made an amazing point. He said that the
culprit is none other than the policy of exclusion by putting limits on term of
office to sitting politicians. He was banking on wisdom from experience.
It reminded me of my cousin Eddie back in Butuan. He was telling me that he was
not kicked out from City Council by the people. He was without choice booted
out by the constitution of his own country. He is neither Recto nor Somulong
but he has a valid point.
More so when exclusion is instituted as abiding dictum to non-government
groups. It is pushing it too far when officers of civic organizations are
required to vacate their positions for being candidates to run for public
office. This ruling is dimly perceived.
This restriction could carry an assumption that venturing into politics is
dirty business. Learned people had been asserting that this is not entirely
true. Politicians are also respected in my neighborhood. True that there are
oddballs in the herd, but they are exception. There are snakes in every forest
and though Butuan has more, it isn't fair to revile them all together as
crooked.
We need competent people to run for public office. The more the better for
Butuan politics is a game of chance. It is from many where a few may
accidentally come out useful. They are the rarest breed in this environment and
what better way to find them than from amongst the active members of honorable
organizations.
The ills of Butuan emanates from the abuse of ballots. Non-government
organizations regardless of founding mandate should not hide their head in the
sand. What is on the table is no longer politics. It has long evolved into a
question of right and wrong. It is the moral conduct and the very conscience of
the city that is at stake. It is good versus evil where a criminal act is
strangely glorified.
Civic organizations should recognize the fact that Butuan is unique. What is
laid upon as common and acceptable practice is a crime. It pollutes the minds
of the young and fractures the essence of efficient governance. Churches have
been yelling loudly to curb this evil down, but pulpit preaching seldom finds
an ear even amongst the devout flock of supposedly God fearing people of the
city.
Rather than ostracize members entering politics, NGOs should instead encourage
and support initiatives for better government. The ailment our city endures can
effectively be corrected from inside the system, than just throwing irk and ire
from a distance where nobody cares. We can not rely on judgment from
electorates anymore as they are already corrupted. What is needed are people
with keen understanding from organized entities.
Civic organizations are serious in their work to restore and protect the
environment. Hindsight allows us to see that these massive ruins we are seeing
now are living testimonials from leadership gone astray. They were also
empowered to office by the same process we have today.
The question therefore is in the manner leaders are chosen. It was a problem
then and it deteriorated from bad to worst. NGOs shall first dig in to help
confront this malady as their intention would hardly see the light of day by
turning away from it. The policy of exclusion is not the answer.
In a place where almost all are hooked to politics, everything is politically
intertwined. The efforts of organizations towards Mayapay, Masao River and
others will not gain a distance without the willingness of a favored
government. The infestation of langaw in Cabcabon is a good example. The
depravity of condition to barrio folks is without any change at all. As for
other environmental worries, nothing is done about it too. Concerned voices are
arrogantly reciprocated by mystifying silence of the Sanguniang Panglunsod.
Organizations should be realistic in their approach towards the fulfillment of
their mission. Standing non committal to open and systemic assault against our
ethical values is tantamount of being uncaring. This transgression is devouring
the goodness of the land and poison the character of inhabitants. Neither
doctrine nor policy can justify excuses to distant at will, without becoming
suspect of cavorting and in cronyism tolerates this dreadful wrongdoing.
